Forced-feed fluid-transporting mechanism



Feb. 17, 1931. J. M. WOLF FORCED FEED FLUID TRANSPORTING MECHANISM FiledJan. 2, l929 5 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 17, 1931. J. M. WOLF FORCED FEEDFLUID TRANSPORTING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 2, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet gmewtoz JM Walfi a: am,

Feb. 17, 1931.

J. M. WOLF 1,792,723

FORCED FEED FLUID TRANSPORTING MECHANISM Feb. 17, 1931. J M, L 1,792,723

FORCED FEED FLUID TRANSPORTING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 2, 1929 5Sheets-Sheet 5 3.10. fig j 7 4.2

Patented Feb. 17,1931

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN M. WOLF, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF '10 CARL ZBINGESSER, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURIFORCED-FEED FLUID-TRANSPORTING MECHANISM Application filed January 2,1929. SerialNo. 328,920.

This invention relates to a forced feed fluid transporting mechanismhereinafter shown as a gas and air lift for use in connection with wellsbut which is adapted for broad use since the principles thereof may bepracticed by mechanism on the surface of the ground as well.

It is aimed to provide a novel mechanism whereby in a well or otherrelation, fluid admitted under pressure serves to seal the well or thelike against the escape of pressure and wherein such pressure is used topump the fluid from the well.

Another important object is to provide a novel construction of pumpingmechanism for the purpose described having a valve which is reversiblethrough the operation of the pumping piston.

The more specific objects and advantages will in part be pointed out andin part become obvious from a consideration of the description followingtaken in connection with accompanying drawings illustrating an operativeembodiment.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly insection, illustrating the apparatus as used in a well,

Figure 2 is an enlarged central vertical sectional view through thedevice particularly adjacent the control valve mechanism,

Figure 3 is an enlarged substantially central vertical sectional viewparticularly showing the control valve and piston,

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is avertical sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 1,

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 2,

Figure 7 is a cross sectional vie-w taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 2,

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view somewhat similar to Figure 2 butshowing the admission valve in a different position,

Figure 9 is a cross sectional view takenon the plane of line 9-9 ofFigure 8, Figure 10 is a vertical sectional view through a modifiedform, Figure 11 is an enlarged detail vertical slidably disposed and ishermetically engaged by such closure. Tubing 12 may be made in sectionsas shown detachably connected together by a screw coupling as at 13(Fig. 4)

Located within the casing 10 and in spaced relation thereto is a'pipe 14which is made up of any suitable number of sections suitably coupleddetachably together. Pipe 14 carries leather. or other flexible washersor cups at 15 so that pressure against them will cause hermeticengagement thereof with the inner wall of thevcasing 10. Said pipe 14 iscarried by a sectional head 16 which is perforated as at 17. Compressedair or other power fluid may be admitted into the casing 10 as throughone or more ports 18 in closure 11, which will act against the cups 15to expand them so that the pressure cannot escape past the same but willenter the ports 17 and thence pass through the space 18 between the pipe14 and tubing 12. When the device is inserted into a well, the head 16,which is freely slidable along the tubing 12, rests on and is supportedby the coupling 13, as shown in Figure 4.

14 at its lower end is screw threaded as at 19 to a coupling head20which has a shoulder or seat 21 normally hermetically engaged by thelower end of the tubing 12. A ring 22 is screw threaded to a barrel 23and the latter is supported from the head 20 by means of a flange 24overlapping the top of said head. Such barrel 23 is made of pipe ortubing in any desired number of detachably connected sections and thelower end thereof has a conventional anchor pipe structure 25 securedthereto which is normally closed by a check valve 26 so as to preventreturn of liquid to the well and which is freely u wardly movable topermit the passage of uid from the well past the same and into thebarrel 23. Saidanchor pipe 25 of course is adapted to rest directly onthe bottom of the well, at which time, the head 16 is located above andout of contact with the con ling 13. At the junction of two sections 0the pipe forming the barrel 23 a mounting plate 27 is screw threaded inplace. Another mounting plate 28 is spaced above the mounting plate 27and supported by an inner barrel 29 which is screw threaded to the lowerend of the head 20 and is screw threaded to the supporting plate 28 asat 30.

The supporting plates 27 and 28 are connected by a bearing pipe 31 screwthreaded thereto and a hollow or tubular piston rod 32 passes slidablythrough said bearing pipe 31, hermetic joints being provided by theprovision of stufiing boxes as at 33 and 33. Below the supporting plate27 rod 32 carries a piston 34 which is in intimate engagement with theinner wall of the barrel 23 and provides a lower power chamber 35between the same and said supporting plate 27. Said rod 32 at its upperend carries a piston 36 in intimate engagement with the inner wall ofthe inner barrel 29 and which provides, between the same and sup ortingplate 28, an upper power chamber 3 The upper end of the piston rod 32 isprovided with a conventional check valve 38 which is normally closed andwhich is adapted to open by pressure from below.

The piston head formed by the elements 32, 34 and 36 is adapted to bereciprocated by the power fluid admitted through ports 18 and into thespace 18 previously mentioned, in order to create a vacuum below thepiston 34 to cause the lift of oil, air or gas upwardly through thepiston stem- 32, the head 20, and tubing 12 to the place of dischargeexteriorly of the well.

In this connection a valve casing 40 of conventional form is fastened tothe bearing 31 through the medium of a block or plate 41 and such casing40 has end heads at 42 in which a valve rod 43 is slidably mounted,having two division plates or pistons 44 thereon in spaced relationwithin the casing 40. Block 41 has an inlet port 45 for the power fluid,bein adapted to receive the same through a branch 46 leading from asupply pipe 47 passing through the supporting plate 28, between thebarrels 23 and 29 and being threaded into the head 20 and arranged incommunication with a passageway 49 in said head which is incommunication with the space or passageway 18.

Below the port 45 is another port 50 communicating with pipe 51 whichleads to the upper power chamber 37. The port 52 below port 50 is theexhaust port and communicates with the space 52. At the lower end ofblock 41 is another inlet port 56 communicating with pipe 59 throughbranch 60, said pipe 59 communicating with a passageway 58 in 7 head 20in communication with space 18", and immediately above port 56 is a port57 communicating through ipe 61 with the lower power cylinder 35'. 'Iheexhaust in space 52' escapes through ports 53' in head 28 with the space54 between the outer and inner barrels 23 and 29 and through valvedpassages 55 in head 20 into the flow pipe 12.

It will be apparent that when the parts are in the position shown inFigure 2, with the rod 43 at the extremity of its upward movement, powerfluid will be delivered to the lower cylinder 35 through pipes 59 and60, port 56 to the casing 40, thence through port 57 and pipe 61, at thesame time pressure in cylinder 37 below piston 36 will be exhaustedthrough pipe 51, ort 50, casing 40 and port 52 and thence through ports53', space 54 and passages 55, as above stated. During this arrangementof the parts the pistons 34 and 36 W111 move downwardly and the oil orother material below piston 34 will be driven through tubular pistonstem 32 into cylinder 37 where it will be trapped b valve 38. When theparts are reversed so t at rod 43 is in its lowermost position, thelower piston or plate 44 will be located between ports 56 and 57 and theupper piston or plate 44 between ports 50 and 52. In this position ofthe parts, power fluid will enter port 45 from pipes 46 and 47, intocasing 40, and thence through port 50 and pipe 51 into cylinder 37,moving the pistons 34 and 36 and stem 32 upwardly, pressure in cylinder35 being exhausted through pipe 61, port 57, casing 40 and port 32.During the upward movement of the pistons the material above piston 36will be lifted through head 20 into flow tube 12, and will be drawn intocylinder 35 by the vacuum created by the upper movement of piston 34.

The movement of the valve stem or rod 43 to positions mentioned isefiected b the engagement therewith of the piston heads 34 and 36. Tothis end, valve stem 43 is slidably mounted through stufling boxesarranged in the supporting heads 27 and 28 respectively.

The valve stem ad'acent each end carries a pair of abutment fingers 66pivoted thereto at 67 and normally urged outwardly by an expansiveU-shaped spring 68 so that the ends of such blades 66 will abut theadjacent ends of the stufling boxes 62 and 65 and combined joint nutsand abutment sleeves 44 will engage the adjacent head 42 limitingmovement of and correctly positioning the valve stem 43 and valves 44.Each end of the rod 43 has a cap 69 telescopically mounted thereon andhousing coil springs 70. When a piston head engages the cap 69, itinitially compresses the springs 70, the rod .43 remaining stationary inview of the abutment of fingers .66 with the stufiing boxes, and it thenslides over the projected fingers and retracts them, whereupon thecompressed sprirtgs slide the rod 43 and disks 44 to their nextposition.

Although the invention has been described in connection with a forcedfeed gas and air lift as'used for wells, no limitation to that use is tobe implied since the principles thereof may be practiced in thetransport of fluid generally particularly on the surface of the groundas well as under such surface.

In rock formation it is the usual practice to use a casing, such as 10,for the upper 50 or 100 feet only, to shut off surface and subsurfacewater from the well. In the event the cups or washers 15 would not beusable as they would not pack against a rock wall and the pressure fluidcontactin with the rock Wall would tend to loosen pieces of the rock,which would pack against the cup or washers and prevent removal of thestring of pipes. In practice in such formations the cups or washers willbe omitted and the outer pipe 14 extended to the surface and thepressure fluid will be supplied directly to the pipe 14.

In Figures 10, 11 and 12 is shown a modification of the arrangement ofthe device when used without the cups or washers 15 as hereinbeforestated in which an adapter having passages therethrough is used and moreparticularly described hereinafter in connection with the modificationshown in Figure 13. The pipes in said modification are designated 12 and14 respectively, and

in this instance the pipe 12 constitutes the pressure fluid conduit,while the pipe 14 provides the flow pipe, as, also, hereinafter morefully described in relation to the modification of Figure 13.

With respect to the form of the invention shown in Figure 13, resortthereto is had when the wells have an output of fluid which would packthe flow pipe 12 or 12 of the previous form to handle it. In

- this form, an adapter 80 is used which engages the seat 21 instead ofthe pipe 12 and which latter pipe engages a seat 81 in the adapter. Agasket is preferably employed at 83. Ports or passages 84 are providedthrough the adapter and communicating with passages or ports 58 and withthe interior of the pipe 12. Discharge ducts or ports 85 are provided inthe adapter which communicate with the bore of head 20 and with thespace between the pipes 12 and 14. As a result, pressure fluid isadapted to be supplied downwardly through the pipe 12. By this means,the source of fluid pressure is reversed relative to the previous forms,the pipe 12 becoming the air or gas pressure pipe and the well casing 10becoming the outflow pipe.

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spiritand scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a casing, a pumping mechanism therein, a pipeconnected to the same, means for the supply of power fluid into thecasing, cup means carried by the pipe to engage the inner wall of thecasing under the action of the pressure fluid, and means for the conductof pressure fluid outwardly of said cups to the pump to operate thesame.

2. A device of the class described comprising a head for the passage offluid therethrough, inner and outer barrels extending from the head,supporting plates in spaced relation carried respectively by saidbarrels, a hollow piston rod slidably passing through said supportingplates and provided with pistons on opposite sides of said plates, andmeans providing passageway for power fluid through said head and saidsupporting plates to operate the pistons and for the exhaust of thepower fluid after use through said head.

3. A device of the class described comprising a head for the passage offluid therethrough, inner and outer barrels extending from the head,supporting plates in spaced relation carried respectively by saidbarrels, a hollow piston rod slidably passing through said supportingplates and provided with pistons on opposite sides of said plates, meansproviding passageway for power fluid through said head .and saidsupporting plates to operate the pistons and for the exhaust of thepower fluid after use through said head, said head having a seat thereinto accommodate a flow pipe, and said supporting plates having a bearingconnecting them and in which the piston tube is slidably mounted.

4. A device of the class described comprising a head for the passage offluid therethrough, inner and outer barrels extendin from the head.supporting plates in spaced relation carried respectively by saidbarrels, a hollow piston rod slidably passing through said supportingplates and provided with pistons 'on opposite sides of said plates,means providing passageway for power fluid through said head and saidsupporting plates to operate the pistons and for the exhaust of thepower fluid after use through said head, a valve casing fastened to thebearings between the supporting plates, and a valve mounted in saidcasing and having parts extending outwardly thereof and through thesupporting plates for direct engagement and operation by said pistons.5. A device of the class described comprising a head for the passage offluid therethrough, inner and outer barrels extending from the head,supporting plates in spaced relation carried resectively by saidbarrels, a hollow piston rod slidably passing through said supportingplates and provided with pistons on opposite sides of said plates, meansIll) providing passageway for power fluid through said head and saidsupporting lates to operate the pistons and for the ex aust of the powerfinid after use through said head, a valve casing fastened to thebearings between the supporting lates, a valve mounted in said casingand iaving parts extending outwardly thereof and through the supportingplates for direct engagement and 5 operation by said pistons, theextremities of said valves having caps thereon, compressible springswithin the caps engaging the valves, fingers carried by the valvesnormally preventing operation thereof, said fingers being arranged forretraction through the movement of said caps.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

JOHN M. WOLF.

